English · KJV
G5308

ὑψηλός

hypsēlós /hoop-say-los'/ Ask about this word
Rootfrom ὕψος
Meaninglofty (in place or character)
KJV usagehigh(-er, -ly) (esteemed).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of hypsēlós — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word hypsēlós, represented by G5308, denotes that which is lofty, both in a physical place and in character. It appears 11 times across 11 unique verses in scripture. Its meaning ranges from describing literal high places to things that are figuratively high or highly esteemed.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, G5308 frequently refers to literal high locations. The devil takes Jesus to an "exceeding high mountain" to tempt him Matthew 4:8, and Jesus takes his disciples to a "high mountain" for the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1, Mark 9:2). John is carried to a "great and high mountain" to see the new Jerusalem Revelation 21:10. Figuratively, the term is used as a warning in Romans 12:16, which instructs believers to "Mind not high things." It also describes the status of Christ, who as a high priest is "made higher than the heavens" Hebrews 7:26 and who sat down at the right hand of the "Majesty on high" Hebrews 1:3.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the concept of height and status:

  • G3735 óros (a mountain): This word is frequently modified by G5308 to denote places of divine revelation or spiritual testing, as seen in the temptation of Christ Luke 4:5 and the Transfiguration Mark 9:2.
  • G5011 tapeinós (humble, of low degree): This term stands in direct contrast to G5308. In Romans 12:16, believers are told not to mind "high things" but to "condescend to men of low estate."
  • G5312 hypsóō (exalt, lift up): This verb is the action form related to the adjective G5308. It is used to describe God exalting the humble Luke 1:52 and is a reminder that whoever exalts himself will be humbled.
  • G3772 ouranós (heaven): Christ's status as high priest is described as being made "higher than the heavens" Hebrews 7:26, using G5308 to establish his supremacy over the created celestial realm.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G5308 is significant, highlighting a contrast between divine and worldly values.

  • Divine Exaltation: The word is used to describe God's supreme position and power. Christ sits with the "Majesty on high" Hebrews 1:3, and God's deliverance of Israel was accomplished with a "high arm" Acts 13:17.
  • Christ's Supremacy: Christ's role as high priest is defined by his being "higher than the heavens" Hebrews 7:26, establishing his unique, sinless, and eternally separate status.
  • Warning Against Pride: The term is used to caution against worldly ambition. That which is "highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God" Luke 16:15, and believers are explicitly told not to mind "high things" Romans 12:16.

Summary

In summary, G5308 moves from the literal to the metaphorical to convey important spiritual truths. It describes physical mountains as places of profound spiritual encounters while also serving as a key term for understanding status. It contrasts the acceptable loftiness of God and Christ with the dangerous, prideful ambition of humanity, ultimately teaching that true exaltation comes not from seeking "high things" but from humility before God.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists one rendering for this word. It is counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the number is how many of them use it. Select it to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as an adjective across 12 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • ὑψηλὸν
  • ὑψηλὰ
  • ὑψηλοῖς
  • ὑψηλοῦ
  • ὑψηλότερος
  • ὑψηλὸν

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

G3735 ὄρος a mountain (as lifting itself above the plain) G5011 ταπεινός depressed, i.e. (figuratively) humiliated (in circumstances or disposition) G5312 ὑψόω to elevate (literally or figuratively) G3772 οὐρανός the sky

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 11 verses across 7 of the 27 books. 4 books tie for most frequent (2 verses each); never once in the other 20.

2
Matthew
1
Mark
2
Luke
1
Acts
1
Romans
2
Hebrews
2
Revelation

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.